The album was certified gold on July 15, 2009, even though it only sold 3,000 copies on its first week of release. As of August 2014, the album has sold over 693,000 copies in the United States.[2] As of March 17, 2021, the album has been certified Platinum in the United States, Gold in Canada, and Silver in the United Kingdom. The song "Eternal Rest" appears on Kerrang!'s "666 Songs You Must Own"[3] and was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Saw IV (2007).[4]
Background
On January 18, 2002, Avenged Sevenfold left Good Life Recordings and signed with Hopeless Records.[5] They re-released their debut album on March 19 and also appeared on the Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 4 sampler in April. The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such as Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall.[6] They spent the year touring in support of their debut album and participated in the Vans Warped Tour.
In September of 2002, Dameon Ash left Avenged Sevenfold and was replaced by Johnny Christ.[7] Christ has previously played with the band whenever Ash could not attend, filling in on a previous tour.[8] Having found a new bassist, the group began recording their new album. Waking the Fallen was released on Hopeless Records in August 2003.
Musical style
Waking the Fallen has been primarily described musically as metalcore[9][10] and heavy metal,[11] while also leaning towards other styles of metal such as melodic death metal, thrash metal and power metal.[12][11] It featured a more refined and mature sound production in comparison to their previous album. This is the first release by the band to feature lead guitarist Synyster Gates on all tracks, which in turn meant more songs featured guitar solos.[13][14] The record is notable among fans due to M. Shadows' slightly higher pitch in his voice and high notes he sings on songs like "I Won't See You Tonight" (both parts).
Waking the Fallen was met with highly positive reviews. Robert L. Doerschuk from AllMusic wrote "And whether attacking a riff in unison or in harmonized parts, the double-threat guitars of Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance do their duty like search-and-destroy commandos -- in and out fast, leaving devastation in their wake. Especially noteworthy -- and note-heavy -- is the guitar solo that blazes through the last moments of "Second Heartbeat" and the head-spinning single-stroke virtuosity of the Reverand throughout the album."
It received a positive profile in Billboard, with the magazine comparing Avenged Sevenfold to bands like NOFX, Iron Maiden, and Metallica.[19] In other profiles, the album also received comparisons to the Misfits and further comparisons to Iron Maiden.[20] "Chapter Four" was featured in video games such as NASCAR Thunder 2004, Madden NFL 04, and NHL 04, which helped the band get recognized and sign a contract with Warner Bros. Records. Overall reviews on Ultimate Guitar were very positive and along with 2016's The Stage has the highest overall rating of any Avenged Sevenfold studio albums on Ultimate Guitar.
Metal Hammer magazine placed Waking the Fallen on No. 6 spot of their 100 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century list in 2016.[21]
Anniversary edition
In March 2014, vocalist M. Shadows revealed in an interview with Loudwire that the band had plans in the works to put something out for the overdue 10th anniversary of Waking the Fallen:[22]
We're going to put something together for the 10 year anniversary of 'Waking the Fallen,' which is about 11 or 12 years now. We've been trying to think of something we could put together and we found some old demos that we did with Teppei [Teranishi] from Thrice before we even did that record.... We also found some old footage with [late drummer] Jimmy [Sullivan] playing some old shows at The Henry Fonda Theater in L.A., and the Ventura Theater. We'll put together a cool DVD and some demo tracks and re-release 'Waking the Fallen' for newer fans of the band that haven't gotten that or don't know about the history of the band.
Waking the Fallen: Resurrected was released August 25, 2014.[23]
Videography
A live performance video was shot at Warped Tour 2003 for "Second Heartbeat". A video was made for the single "Unholy Confessions" on March 6, 2004, using live footage set to the studio track. It featured the fans before and during an Avenged Sevenfold show at the Henry Fonda Theater.[24] According to vocalist M. Shadows, it was requested by their new label, Warner Bros. Records, in order to publicize the band before their 2005 album City of Evil.
This video was the second attempt at a video for the track. The previous attempt was a concept video, filmed three months before.[25] The band was not happy with the final product, however, and opted to re-shoot the video, this time as a live performance. The new video went into rotation on MTV2's Headbangers Ball.[26]
In 2014, a music video for "Chapter Four" was released to promote the release of "Waking The Fallen: Resurrected".[27] The video features clips of the band playing live, shot entirely in black and white.[28] The footage is from the same show was also used for the Unholy Confessions video a decade prior.[29] The video was directed by Rafa Alcantara.[30]
^Brace, Eric. "The Circuit." The Washington Post. Accessed via LexisNexis. "Cleveland's excellent envelope-pushing metal band Mushroomhead performs Wednesday night at Jaxx (703-569-5940), along with Shadows Fall, Avenged Sevenfold and High on Fire." October 18, 2002.
^"Artists to Watch: AVENGED SEVENFOLD". Billboard. "Orange County, Calif.'s Avenged Sevenfold stands at a crossroads. In one direction is the present and future: the current punk/metal hybrid known as 'screamo.' In the other, the past: influences of such punk bands as NOFX and Bad Religion; the '80s-metal dynamic of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica; and a touch of goth."
^"Avenged Sevenfold members carve a new niche with old sound", The Bradenton Herald, accessed via LexisNexis. September 18, 2003. "Their long bangs and black eye makeup draw comparisons to the Misfits. Their cryptic lyrics are similar to Iron Maiden. The guttural vocals and machine-gun percussion sound like early Metallica. And the guitar riffs are reminiscent of Crimson Glory."
